Nank Runner Diver2 Pro
Why Open Ear?
Bone conduction or open ear headphones are where it’s at for runners. In my opinion it is a safety issue and I advocate that every runner, male or female, should use some sort of open ear headphone when running outside. In ear or over ear headphones greatly reduce the awareness of the runners surroundings. The traditional solution for awareness has been to run with one earphone out, however, with the advent of open ear designs, you can now have 360 degree awareness while running!
The Breakdown
Weight: 32g
Connection Type: Bluetooth and MP3
Play Time: 10 hours
Charge Type: Magnetic
Waterproofing: IPx9
MSRP: $199
The Pros
The first thing to talk about with any headphone is the sound quality. These headphones have superb quality for a bone conduction headphone. These are not going to have studio headphone sound, but everything has to be kept in the perspective that these are to be worn while exercising. Personally im a big audio book/podcast guy and I save the music for the harder efforts. The audio range on these is fully sufficient for spoken word and the full range of popular music. If you choose to listen to a more classically defined style of music (pre 1900’s, not the Eagles or Nirvana) you do lose a little bit of range off the top and bottom, but it is a marginal amount.
If you do want a more immersive listening experience, the unit does come with two styles of earplugs that will increase the total volume of the unit and cut out extraneous sounds. The traditional earplugs work well for swimming but there is also a sized series of “molded” ear plugs shaped to fit in your outer ear, thereby creating a more immersive but less intrusive experience.
These headphones are built both for overland athletes and underwater athletes so the water proofing is top notch. You don’t need to worry about being out in the rain or in the shower or just sweating too much, they can take it.
In prior years, if you were a runner and swimmer or triathlete, if you wanted to listen to music in the pool you would require a separate unit, as there just wasn’t enough space for a the battery, Bluetooth antenna and a storage drive. As technology had progressed and everything has gotten smaller, we now have one unit to rule them all. You do need to own the music you want to put on these headphones but they do have MP3 (and other standard audio files) storage capacity up to 32 GB. Bluetooth isn’t a strong enough signal to cut through water at even a pool length distance, so the MP3 player is essential for underwater use, but it also comes in handy if you’re on a long run and want to save battery life on your phone, or leave the house without it. Switching between Bluetooth and MP3 mode is quite simple, just 3 successive clicks on the center button.
This headphone also has a unique design that I haven’t seen in other units before. If you’re in louder conditions but don’t want to bust out the ear plugs, you can adjust the output units back to cover more of the ear via the hinged ear loop. Essentially this increases the perceived volume of the headphone without having to carry around extra equipment. This is a potential point of weakness long term if the unit were to experience a breaking point, but I think that as long as you don’t attempt to push the hinge beyond its stopping point, you should be good to go.
The Cons
For a majority of runners, the sizing isn’t going to be an issue, however, as someone with a larger head, one size fits most isn’t always a guarantee that I am in the most. When purchasing a hat I always have to go with the extra large option if it’s available, and while some companies are offering smaller units for people with smaller heads or ways to adjust the size down as this unit does, they usually don’t make extra large options. While I don’t have any issues wearing this while running in a straight line, if I turn my head too far to the right or left, the unit will slip into a less desirable position on my head and then I need to adjust. While this isn’t a taxing issue on a shorter run, when running long, I prefer to avoid any extra cognitive stresses.
My only other issue with this unit is the magnetic charger. In order to maintain a true waterproof headphone, a traditional usb charge port isn’t an option, as it creates a weak point in the system. I’d prefer to see an upgraded charging location or stronger magnets used in the current charging cord. While the unit charges well, if it is bumped or jostled while charging, there is potential that the unit will stop charging and I’m not sure that charging on the go is an option, as it takes careful placement of the charging cord onto the unit to keep it in place.
Final Thoughts
In summary I think that NANK has created an excellent product. The fit is comfortable and the long battery life combined with the ability to move back and forth between Bluetooth and MP3 player makes this an incredibly versatile unit. There are some things that can be improved on, but they are minor inconveniences for the product that you are getting.
Purchase your Runner Diver 2 Pro here and use code “spiritofrunning” at checkout for 15% off!